Former Cottage Hospital, Coxwell Road

Under ConstructionMr Dundas, local philanthropist, gave land and money to build the Faringdon Cottage Hosptal. It later became a medical centre, until it was replaced c 1990s by the new building in Volunteer Way.

The Drew Legacy Mr. Sidney Drew, BEM, ( 9/12/12- Jan 1990) lived on at Oxleys farm in Farmoor and was manager of a grocery store in Oxford. He married Augusta Henrietta Parker 1910-1988On his death in December 1989, he left £50,000 to the Oxfordshire Health Authority at Headington, Oxford "with the wish that the monies shall be used to establish or maintain a hospital in Faringdon but without any binding obligation".

The Oxfordshire Health Authority ceased in 1996 and the Legacy was passed to the Oxfordshire Community Health Authority Charitable Fund as the administering body.

The Oxfordshire Community Health Authority lasted only one year when it too ceased and the Legacy was passed to the new Oxfordshire PCT Charity. This was the resting place of the Legacy money when it came to the attention of FAR (Faringdon Association of Residents).As a result of the NHS changes and there being no requests from Faringdon for any of the money, the SW Oxfordshire PCT applied to the Charity Commission of England and Wales to use the Legacy money for "any charitable purpose or purposes relating to the NHS" and not for Faringdon as originally bequeathed.The Charities Commission agreed to this NHS request in July 2003. In July 2003, the Legacy together with its interest stood at £92,000 but a few years earlier had been over £100,000 but the investment profits had fallen sharply.The first details of this Legacy were chanced upon by a FAR member in August 2003 in a newspaper. This article stated that, as money from a Drew Legacy to Faringdon had not been "claimed" or spent within the specified requirement time of 2 years following the bequest, it could now be used anywhere in the NHS.FAR later found that the Legacy had been referred to in detail in the Oxford Times of June 8th 1990 but had not been taken up by Faringdon.FAR also found that the deadline for dispersal of the Legacy was only weeks away and wrote to the Director of the SW Oxon. PCT voicing its concerns.There followed a great deal of action, investiagtion and communication bewteen FAP and the relevant Health organisation. In 2004, purchase of equipment for the District Nurses, the Breast Screening Unit cable and equipment for 2 Community Responders, to the value of £50k ( the original legacy) for Faringdon was approved.

The connection between Mr. Drew and Faringdon came from his wife who was a sister of Mr. Aubrey Parker who lived in Faringdon. Mr. Parker was a well known figure in Faringdon and had already donated the money for the Parker Physiotherapy Centre at the Old Health Centre in Coxwell Road. He had decided to donate further money for a hospital in Faringdon. Unfortunately Mr. Aubrey Parker died of cancer before he could achieve his aim and, in recognition of his brother-in-law's wishes, Mr. Drew left a large Legacy for that purpose.

Aubrey John Elliott Parker. Known as Jim Parker (batchelor)25/1/1912 to 18/1/1985In 1980s, a local man, Aubrey Parker, brother in law of Sydney Drew discussed giving his land expressly for funding a hospital for Faringdon. It was Mr Parker’s clear wishes that any proceeds from the sale of 3.73 acres near the old cricket pitch should be used towards a hospital in Faringdon, following the decision to close Longworth Hospital.Mr Parker died in 1985. There is evidence that Oxford Regional Health Authority accepted the donation of land.After then, Oxfordshire Health Authority (OHA) minutes show that the plans for a Faringdon Hospital were cancelled, but the new nursing home (Ferendune) would have a special wing for ‘8 hospital like’ beds for Faringdon patients, as well as the usual care home facilities. These Intermediate care or nursing beds, are especially for people needing hospital level nursing or end of life care. The length of stay was intended to be around 6 weeks.

Ferendune was built with contributions from Oxfordshire County Council (OCC), OHA and Anchor Housing, and on Ash Close land provided by Vale of the White Horse District Council. There was some sort of land swap agreed, presumably with the land given by Mr Parker.The 25 year agreement made in 1991 was for 8 intermediate care beds. In 2006, only 15 years later, a new agreement was put in place based on 6 beds. It was questionable whether it was legal to do this, but OCCs legal department in effect say ‘it’s too late to do anything about this now’. The termination conditions are more flexible than the original agreement.There was some evidence stays were much longer than the average 6 week stay recommended.OCC were responsible for bed management throughout. The agreements required the beds were to be paid for as a ‘block’ This means that Anchor Homes is being paid however well or badly the beds were used.The beds were closed in early 2004 at a time when there were over 100 'blocked beds' in Oxfordshire hospitals.

Mr. Parker was a well known figure in Faringdon and had already donated the money for the Parker Physiotherapy Centre at the Old Health Centre in Coxwell Road

PostscriptThe value of all the legacies described above were subsumed into the NHS, probably with no further connection to Faringdon.